The Williams and the Snowmen
by howverysonic
Summary: A new take on the Snowmen christmas special, in which Clara is the governess to the Williams. {Better than it sounds, I promise! Rated T because I'm paranoid.}
1. Nerves

Nerves weren't something that often got in Clara's way; she was ambitious, confident and clever. She had inherited an amazing work ethic from her Mother, meaning that she had pretty much everything she could want in life, purely due to fact that she never did things half heartedly. She worked, and she worked hard.

Despite not being the richest of people, Clara was comfortable. She worked as a governess officially, and helped out part time at the Rose and Crown as a barmaid to help keep up with her bills.

She was, and she knew it, an excellent governess. Her references said it all. She'd worked for some of the most influential families in London, and with each new placement she would enjoy it even more than the last. She loved looking after the children, and more often than not, they loved her, too. So why, she asked herself, was she so nervous this time around? Clara didn't have an answer, but with the butterflies in her stomach growing more and more prominent, she knew she had to snap out of it before she reached the house – she would not let nerves, of all things, cost her this job.

In an attempt to calm herself she pulled out the letter she had received the day prior and reread it, for what felt like the millionth time.

_Dear Miss Oswald,_

_I'm writing in response to your application regarding filling the position for governess in our household. After reading your references and letter, I feel very strongly that you could be a great asset to our household, and I'd love to meet you and discuss the possibility further._

_If you aren't otherwise engaged, I'd appreciate it if you would come around on Sunday to meet the children and to discuss matters further with me. Don't hesitate to contact me again if any problems arise._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Rory Williams_

Clara read it again, twice, three times, before returning it to her bag and resuming her former position of staring out the window. It was Sunday, and she was on her way to meet the Williams. She'd only ever been this nervous before her very first interview, and she had no idea why she was now – she had no reason to be. They stopped outside the large manor and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, gathering her things and quickly pulling herself together mentally and handing the driver some money.

_It's going to be fine, _she thought to herself. _You're great with children – this is your forte. There's no need to be anxious. _

Knock, knock, knock. She was banging on the door before she realized she had even reached it, and so she quickly straightened her posture and put on her best smile as it swung open. "Hello, I'm Miss Oswald. I'm here about the opening for a new governess."

"Ah, yes. Please come in, Miss Oswald. Mr. Williams is waiting for you in his study." The woman had light blonde hair scrapped back into a bun, not unlike hers, and smiled kindly at Clara as she entered the house.

It was beautiful, but not beautiful in the way that the houses she had previously worked at hard been – big, bold manor houses with expensive furniture that must never be touched and paintings on the walls from only the most well known and prestigious artists of the time. No, this was the type of beauty you only find in houses which have been well loved and cherished; houses which aren't first and fore mostly a show home, but a place to raise their family and a place to be happy. Portraits hung off the wall of what Clara assumed most have been the children, and strange ornaments – which made no sense to her but obviously held sentimental meaning - were scattered along the top of the fireplace to her right.

Oh god, how she wanted this job. She wanted it more than she had ever wanted a job before. Not that there was any particular reason, mind you… it just felt _right._ Like she belonged there.

The blonde woman emitted a small cough and Clara quickly became aware that she had probably been standing there for quite a while. She smiled apologetically and quickly followed the woman up the wide staircase, which dominated the hallway.

As we reached the top of the staircase we took a left down a short corridor and came to a halt at the end, by a door with '_Mr. Williams'_ engraved on the dark wood. The blonde woman knocked sharply three times and waited a moment before entering. "Miss Oswald is here to see you, Sir."

"Ah, yes, good! Send her in."

Clara stepped into the well-lit study and smiled at the man sat in front of her. His dark brown hair was combed back into a smart do, and he had a long nose, which, instead of being somewhat of a disadvantage, rather suited his narrow face. If she was honest with herself, he was rather handsome.

He stood up as she entered and extended his hand, a wide smile appearing on his face. "Hello Miss Oswald, what a pleasure to meet you." He said while she shook his hand. "I'm Mr. Williams."

She smiled back at him and nodded politely. "Lovely to meet you, too."

_**a/n: what did you think? I'm really excited about this story and I can't wait to get on to the exciting parts! Please review, suggestions are always welcome. :-)**_


	2. Doctor who?

"Please, sit down." He smiled at her, returning to his seat and putting the paperwork he had previously been working on back in his draws, before returning his gaze to her. "Well… I don't feel we have much to discuss, in all honesty. Your references… well, I've never seen anything like them. It seems nearly every respectable family in London adores you!"

A small smile danced across her lips, and suddenly her nerves had vanished. The faith she had in herself and her work had returned, and now all that was left was excitement. "I love my job." She replied simply, with a small shrug of her shoulders. "I guess it comes across in my work."

"Well, whatever you're doing, you're obviously doing something right. I have complete trust in you, Miss Oswald. Nothing would make me happier than if you were to come to work for the household."

After half an hour of discussing paperwork, pay and living arrangements, it was settled. Clara was to move in tonight and gather her things tomorrow, and would start tutoring them on Wednesday – giving her a few days to get to know the children and the house. She was ecstatic and, quite honestly, couldn't wait to meet them.

"I believe the children are in the garden, if you wish to meet them?" Rory asked, and she nodded quickly in return, rising from her seat and following him out the door.

"I have to warn you, Thomas doesn't like new people – he's rather shy. I'm sure he'll warm to you, though."

"Oh, that's no problem. I have a knack of getting children to come out of their shells." She smiled up at him, ignoring his skeptical glance. She had the feeling that there was something he wasn't telling her… Maybe this would be harder than she originally assumed.

They stepped outside and a wide smile filled her face. The garden was hidden under a thick blanket of fresh show, and the children were laughing and playing happily; building a snowman and occasionally chucking snow at each other.

"Amy, Thomas, this is Miss Oswald – your new governess." Rory said as they approached the two children.

Clara put on her friendliest smile and looked at them both. Amy towered over Thomas, with striking blue eyes, peering out from under her beautiful red locks, which fell in front of her delicate looking face. She must have been about eleven, Clara guessed. She bent down slightly so she was at a more similar height to them. "Amy. What a beautiful name!"

She turned to look a Thomas, who looked down at his feat and fiddled with his hands. He must have been about six, with golden brown hair wrapped into tight curls and dark green eyes. He was obviously nervous, and she knew she had to play her next moves very carefully if she wanted to make a good impression. "Hello Thomas, I'm Miss Oswald." She smiled softly and dropped her voice to a whisper, as if she was letting him in on a secret "But, if you're very good, you can call me Clara."

He glanced up at her skeptically, obviously still cautious around his new governess. She stood up properly and walked over to the snowman they were building prior to the introduction. "This," she turned to look at Thomas, "is a very impressive snowman. Does it have a name?"

"Doctor. His name is Doctor." Thomas mumbled, shuffling his feet.

She raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Doctor who?"

**a/n: sorry this it's so short and lacks excitement, but it felt like it was a nice place to end. Don't worry, I promise it improves! The first couple of chapters are just to set up the story.**


End file.
